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Tree Planting and Biodiversity

Tree Planting and Biodiversity. A Case Study: Sudbury Land Reclamation. Hypothesis Has the Land Reclamation Project in Sudbury been successful?. 2008. 1981. Timeline Before 1900. 1879…

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Tree Planting and Biodiversity

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  1. Tree Planting and Biodiversity A Case Study: Sudbury Land Reclamation

  2. Hypothesis Has the Land Reclamation Project in Sudbury been successful? 2008 1981

  3. TimelineBefore 1900 • 1879… Forestry was the first major industry in the area, construction of the Canada Pacific Railway, US lumber demand in Chicago. • 1883... Once densely forested, Sudbury was originally named "Ste-Anne of the Pines.” • 1883... Precious metals were discovered by CPR employees. • Mid 1880's... Logging, forest fires and erosion had already destroyed much of the landscape. • 1888... The first smelting of Sudbury ores by roast yard occurred. Smelting of ores in roast yard Once located in centre of Copper Cliff

  4. Timeline1900 -1970 • 1921... Damages by Fumes Arbitration Act forbids courts from hearing cases about sulfur fumes • 1928... INCO (International Nickel of Canada Ltd.) and Falconbridge were formed. • 1960's... Scientists and provincial government  correlated persistent barren lands with the presence of heavy metals • 1969... The Ontario government issued environmental control orders to reduce emissions from area smelters • 1970... First publication of long-range atmospheric damage in Sudbury Devastated landscape

  5. Timeline1970-2000 • 1970... First Earth Day April 22 • 1972... Inco's "Superstack", world’s tallest free standing stack • 1978... Regional Regreening Program initiated • 1990... One Millionth Tree Planting Ceremony, - continuing commitment to environmental improvement through land reclamation • 1994... Two Millionth Tree Planting Ceremony Superstack

  6. Timeline2000-2012 • 2001... In March, Healing the Landscape book celebrated the regreening of the Sudbury Region and the beginning of the new millennium • 2003... City of Greater Sudbury's Land Reclamation Program celebrates Silver Anniversary (25 years) - almost 8 million tree seedlings planted - reclaimed over 3,300 hectares of land • 2005... VETAC initiates first annual Ugliest Schoolyard Contest • March 2009... The Sudbury Soils Study releases theEcological Risk Assessment (ERA) - more reclamation work required • December 2009... Living Landscape - A Biodiversity Action Plan for Greater Sudbury released The moving force behind the regreening (2007)

  7. Early Land Reclamation Efforts early 1950’s, INCO hired Agriculturalist, Tom Peters, to rectify soil degradation and improve tailings containment areas Used grasses and legumes as soil stabilizers Introduced tree planting programs in 1960’s on INCO land Started tree growing underground at Creighton Mine Before (above) and after (below) grassing

  8. Mike Peters Underground at Creighton Mine More than 100,000 trees per year grown underground

  9. Early Reclamation Efforts(cont’d) • 200,000 trees per year in the Copper Cliff greenhouse • 25,000 to 30,000 trees seeded and grown per year by Copper Cliff Scouts (Mike Peters, Scout leader and Inco Grounds and Greenhouse Supervisor) • Over one million trees started from seed by Scouts (1960’s to present) • Scouts have planted trees since before the 1950s White pine seedling and cone

  10. VETAC • 1973, “Technical Tree Planting Committee“ formed in Sudbury • Ministry of Natural Resources and Laurentian University showed that manual application of limestone, fertilizer and grass seeds established grassed plots • Schoolchildren established ‘pioneer plots’ • 1978 proposed land reclamation program • name changed to "Vegetation Enhancement Technical Advisory Committee" (VETAC) in 1978 - reflect broadened mandate. Liming operation

  11. VETAC Accomplishments(as of 2011) • Limed 3500 hectares • Planted 12,000,000 trees • 30,000 hectares still to be limed and planted with trees • Over 4,500 people employed temporarily • Over 8,500 volunteers • Cost of over $26 million Barren lands awaiting reclamation

  12. VETAC - Yearly Program Costs 1978 to 2011 The bar graph above shows annual program costs totaling $26,830,736.

  13. 100,000,000 1,000,000 10,000 100 1 VETAC - Number of Tree Planted 1979 to 2011 The bar graph above shows the number of trees totaling 9,276,622

  14. Regreening 1978-2008 in Dark Green – length approx 40 km

  15. VETAC Programs • Land Reclamation Program • Urban Landscape (Ugliest Schoolyard Contest) • Community Outreach • Research and Education • Biodiversity & Species at Risk • Forest Mat relocation • Tracking local effects of climate change • Encourage community involvement

  16. VETAC Original Members Dr. Peter Beckett Bill Lautenbach Dr. Keith Winterhalder Tom Peters “You have put us on the map of the world.” • Dr. Beckett - still on VETAC and at Laurentian University • Bill Lautenbach - City of Sudbury now retired • Dr. Winterhalder Laurentian University - deceased • Tom Peters INCO horticulturalist - deceased.

  17. Objectives • Create self-sustaining ecosystem • Plant species that are acidic and low-nutrient tolerant • Provide natural colonization and diversity • Native species • Use legumes to restore nutrient cycles • Use species to attract wildlife and provide cover • Speed up natural changes Low bush, acid loving blueberry in Fall.

  18. Land Reclamation More complex process than just planting trees • pH and nutrient sampling • Liming barren areas • Site improvement • Grass and legumes • Native seed collection • Planting trees • Transplanting forest mats Tree planting alone is not sufficient. Scouts planting red pine

  19. Volunteers • Community involvement • 25% of trees planted by volunteers • Scouts • Schools • Lions Club • Rotary International • Many others • Scouts alone have planted in excess of 300,000 trees and grown over one million trees from seed • University leaders involved • Companies contributed expertise, material, time and manpower • City supported special committees • Government grants for short term jobs 2012 planting at Naughton by Scouts

  20. Involvement of One GroupAn Example • Scouts Canada Scoutrees Program • Hundreds of Scouts in Sudbury area involved annually • Ist Copper Cliff Scouts annually plant between 25,000 and 50,000 seeds • 84 trees to a flat = 300 and 600 flats annually • Flats overwinter outside at INCO greenhouse • Watered every other day after sprouting until Fall • Plant between 5,000 and 10,000 trees • Remainder distributed to volunteer organizations

  21. 2011 Planting About 3000 of the 8000 trees planted in 2011 The man in the safety vest is Scouter Mike Peters. Location by the old Nickel Smelter near City of Greater Sudbury Road 55 just west of Copper Cliff.

  22. Key To Success • Industry co-operation • Municipal leadership • Activist professors • Lack of finger-pointing • Early visibility of success • 20 years of Inco and Falconbridge knowledge before VETAC started in 1972 Some of the barren and rocky hills It is astounding what a group of dedicated volunteers can do. (There are about 60 youth scattered on the hillside.)

  23. Scope Recognition • The Reclamation Program in Sudbury is the largest land reclamation project undertaken anywhere • Provides a blueprint or template for other reclamation projects

  24. Accolades • 2008 – Community Builders Award of Excellence • 2003 – Certificate of Recognition Sudbury Mining and the Environment Committee • 2003 - Dr. Edward M. Watkin Award [Canadian Land Reclamation Association (CLRA)] • 2001- Finalist Award Certificate for the Bremen Partnership Award: Global Responsibilities Through Local Action. • 1997 - Elaine Burke Memorial Award The old Nickel Plant Road 55 Copper Cliff

  25. Accolades(cont’d) • 1995 -Model Project Award [The Society for Ecological Restoration ] • 1992 - United Nations Local Government Honors Award • 1992 - The United States Chevron Conservation Award • 1990 -The Government of Canada Environmental Achievement Award United Nations Honors Award

  26. Accolades(final) • 1990 - Lieutenant Governor's Conservation Award • 1990 - AboriculturalAward of Merit[International Society of Aboriculture Ontario Inc.] • 1989 - award from the Ontario Shade Tree Council • 1986 - Community Improvement Award [Ontario Horticultural Association] Scouts planting Red Pine - 2007

  27. The Future • Only about one third complete • Site assessment to show what works • Monitor climate change • Vale INCO arborist Mike Peters now growing a much wider variety of trees • Collect seeds from local sources • Develop new techniques such as tree mats A flat of 84 White Spruce

  28. Copper Cliff – Park in Centre of TownScouts plant more than evergreensCelebrating the millionth seed planted Answer to Hypothesis: Successful! The future of the reclamation project is community involvement and volunteer activism

  29. Citations • Slide 1: Living Landscape: A Biodiversity Action Plan for Greater Sudbury. http://www.greatersudbury.ca/content/biodiversity/documents/Biodiversity_Print_Final_Jan_26_2012(Web).pdf, p. 36 • Slide 2: Living Landscape, p. 1 • Slides 3 through 6: http://www.greatersudbury.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=div_landreclamation&lang=en&currID=4033 and http://www.greatersudbury.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=div_landreclamation&lang=en&currID=4040&parID=0 • Slide 7: “Real reclamation efforts began in the 1950s”, and “Inco plants about two-thirds of the seedlings itself, both on its own properties and as part of the regional regreening program. The other third are donated to non-profit groups such as Scouts Canada. In all, estimates ground supervisor Mike Peters, Inco has grown over 3 million trees.” [April 2002]. http://www.canadianminingjournal.com/news/operations-the-growing-business-of-reclamation/1000113821/. Photos: Vale Inco, The Regreening of Sudbury and the 2009 Biodiversity Action Plan for Greater Sudbury, p. 4. Vale information pamphlet • Slide 8: Living Landscape, p. 28 • Slide 9: “Scoutreesacross this country for 30 years and to date has planted 70 million trees. That number is quite impressive when you consider the success of the program is directly attributed to children, youth, and volunteers. Scouts Canada has had a long history of tree planting. Our archives show that we have been planting trees dating back to 1907.” The number is now over 80 million! my.mcbc.com/3rd-unionville.../scoutrees/Scoutrees%20talks.doc]; Earl Mumford, King Scout (1952), personal communication, 15 May 2012; photo: Thomas Little. • Slide 10:http://www.greatersudbury.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=div_landreclamation&lang=en&currID=6965 • Slide 11: Living Landscape, p. 9 • Slides 12 & 13: VETAC. 2011 Annual Report: Regreening Program.. (2012) , p. 3 & p. 9. www.greatersudbury.ca/VETAC • Slide 14: Map of 1978-2008 liming and planting – Appendix to VETAC – 2008 Annual Report. www.greatersudbury.ca/VETAC. • Slide 15: Living Landscape, p. 22-28; http://www.greatersudbury.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=div_earthcare&lang=en&currID=7494

  30. Citations (cont’d) • Slide 16: quote from Northern Life, 14 Sept 2003, p. 1 ; photo, Living Landscape, p 5. • Slide 17: Lautenbach et al, Municipal Land Restoration Program: http://coopunit.laurentian.ca/NR/rdonlyres/2608945C-BAD4-49F1-80F3-3D20615C0967/0/Chapter8a.pdf; photo – Living Landscape, p. 21 • Slide 18: Lautenbach, p. 112ff; photo – Thomas Little • Slide 19: Caterpillar Global Mining. The Reclamation of Sudbury, Viewpoint 2008, Issue 4, p. 4. www.cat.com/viewpoint; photo – Thomas Little • Slide 20, 21 & 22: additional information - Tom Peters at INCO and Robert Michelutti at Falconbridge; photos – Thomas Little; Slide 22: The Reclamation of Sudbury, p.4 • Slide 24 – 26: Awards. http://www.greatersudbury.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=div_landreclamation&lang=en&currID=5788; photos slides 19 & 21 – Thomas Little • Slide 27: The Reclamation of Sudbury, p. 4-5; photo – Thomas Little • Slides 28& 30: photo – Thomas Little

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